Time and Twilight
by dripley11
Summary: Link wakens in the Castle, yet it is not the same somehow. He finds himself with Princess Zelda, yet not the Zelda he knows. The Hero of Time awakens in the future with the Light chased from the world. Paired with the new Princess, he works to fix a different tragedy Ganondorf has wrought upon the land of Hyrule. However, he now faces new enemies; some even worse than monsters.


**Chapter 1**

* * *

" _Link! What's happening!?"_

Link's eyes shot open and he screamed, "Zelda!"

"How do you know my name?" a cool voice cut through the room's atmosphere, its calm authority reminding him of the always collected Impa.

He then tried to move but found his arms and leg bound to a four-poster bed's corners. A slight chill crept over his bare torso while he lay there spread-eagle.

The experienced warrior within him killed all signs of panic at finding himself in such a situation, and he then analyzed the current scene carefully.

For some reason there was very little light in the room. The only illumination came from a few candles flickering and the milky-grey beam filtering through the room's lone window.

His eyes then drifted about his current cell and darted from object to object quicker than even an eagle's. There were a few boxes scattered about the stone room along with a single chair that had no occupant. A faint aroma of quality food that briefly reminded him of Malon's cooking drifted into his nostrils, making him keenly aware of his hunger.

The bed he found comfortable beneath him, as he would've been willing to simply lay there and sleep if he weren't currently held prisoner. Under his gaze the bed's posts revealed themselves to be more ornate than any bed he'd ever slept on before. Intricate designs of an obviously skilled artist's carvings swirled around each post.

"I asked you a question."

That same voice – female by its sound he recognized – drew his attention to a darkened, shadowed corner of the room. He narrowed his eyes towards the formerly hidden presence and thought, _This girl must be as good as Impa or Sheik to hide herself from me._ His eyes then shot open when he realized, "Navi! Navi, where are you!?"

Link then heard frantic rustling of fabric within the shaded area and the same woman answered him, "Your fairy is alive – for now. She is in my possession currently, and no harm will come to her so long as you make no hostile movements and answer my questions honestly. Do you understand?"

He grit his teeth in frustration but nodded in agreement, seeing no other alternative presently. "Fine, but who are you and where am I?"

"Why ask me a question which you seem to already know the answer to?" the shadowed girl replied.

"I've got no idea what you're talking about!" Link snapped.

"No matter," she dismissed. "Should you answer truly and are no threat then I will allow you to ask me in turn. Also, do not attempt to lie and deceive me; I _know_ whenever someone lies to me."

Link bit his tongue, forcing back the biting remark on his tip. _No need to anger your warden just yet, Link,_ he reminded himself. Instead he asked rhetorically, "What purpose would lying serve me in this position? Just go ahead and ask already."

"Very well." His captor then began with: "What is your name?"

"Link," he responded curtly. _Keep the answers brief and give away as little as possible. Think like Sheik._

"You don't wish to give away much," she deduced calmly, making Link twitch in irritation at being seen through so quickly. "Where do you come from?"

"The Kokiri Forest," he revealed.

"Your fairy companion confirmed as much for me, yet the Kokiri have not been seen nor heard from for nearly a full century; also, the tales say that Kokiri do not age. Your physiology is that of a Hylian then – most likely raised by the Kokiri from a young age." Link offered no response, but the woman then clarified her query, unperturbed, "Are you of Hylian blood?"

Link's lips pursed and he told her, "I am told that my mother was Hylian."

"Which implies that you were an orphan," she pieced together too quickly for Link's liking, annoying him with how perceptive she was. "Now, how did you come to arrive in my room?"

Link informed her truthfully, "I have no idea."

A moment of silence passed before she observed, "You're not lying." She spent another minute in solitude prior to asking, "What is the last thing you recall?"

He tried to think back but his memory was hazy on the concrete details. He distinctly avoided what happened before he defeated Ganon and answered, "I was… I remember hearing a familiar melody playing. Then…a gasp and a bright light."

A hum of contemplation echoed in the room's silent atmosphere after his response. She then asked with authority in her voice, "What was the melody which you heard?"

"Haven't I answered enough?" he growled in annoyance. "Let Navi go already; I'm not a threat to you like this."

"…I suppose you are correct," she conceded. There was a slight rustling of fabric preceding the bright azure light appearing, briefly illuminating a pink and velvet dress in the darkness.

"Link!" Navi cried in worry and flew across the room towards him, leaving his warden hidden once more.

"Navi," he sighed in relief. "I'm glad to see you're okay."

"You big lug!" the tiny blue girl shouted at him. "What are you doing letting yourself get caught like this!? Can't you get out on your own?"

"Those ropes are enchanted," the hidden female informed them both once Navi moved to untie his bindings. "I am the only one whom can remove those. You're only wasting your energy, little fairy."

Navi's glow turned green and a vein pulsed on her tiny forehead. Link tried to stop her but was too late; she darted towards the shadowed figure, her natural light illuminating the mysterious woman's face at last.

The young man felt his heart pound in his chest and he breathed in shock, "Zelda?"

"I'll have you know," Navi began while annoyance bled into her voice, "that I am the oldest of over fifty siblings, _and_ I am the fairy that the Great Deku Tree himself chose to accompany the Child of Destiny!"

Link shook himself out of his momentary stupor and shouted, "Navi! Need-to-know!"

Navi's color drooped to a bashful pink and she realized, "…Oops. I went and said too much, didn't I, Link?"

"Yes you did," he grumbled. He then looked at the girl and said, "Untie me; you can keep all my weapons and tools with you if it'll satisfy you."

The woman stepped into the dim lighting and replied, "I will, but first: Why do you have this?" She then brandished the Master Sword.

"Because it's _his_ – obviously!" Navi replied snootily after landing on his chest and sitting down while crossing her arms. "My boy Link here was _chosen_ to be that sword's master," she beamed brightly with pride while she glowed an astounding azure.

"Interesting," the brunette young woman accepted the fairy's words. She then held out her hand and the binds on his wrists removed themselves, slithering away like snakes. "It still protects the both of you even when you are not in direct contact with it. I suppose that is a testament to its power."

Link sat up and rubbed his raw wrists while Navi flew around his head twice and landed on his shoulder. He then looked at the girl before him once again and asked, "Can I ask _you_ something now?"

She nodded, "You may."

He exhaled after thinking over everything that had happened so far and requested, "Are we in Hyrule Castle?"

"Indeed."

Navi gasped in shock, "Link, but wasn't –"

"Yes, Navi," he stopped her. "I don't know what's going on though."

"How… Just _how_?" the fairy asked no one present.

The regal-looking girl tilted her head in curiosity and chimed in, "'How' what?"

"Nothing!" Navi answered a little too quickly to be believed. "Nothing at all!"

"Navi, just…stop – _please_ ," Link pleaded tiredly while burying his face into one of his hands.

"Shutting up!" the diminutive girl declared loudly and then dashed under the bed sheets in place of his hat. She poked her head out to watch the following proceedings however.

The brown-haired young woman had a slight smile on her face as she said, "I'd never thought fairies could be so… _lively_."

"Yeah," Link agreed. "Navi's kind of a special head-case though." Navi blew a raspberry at him for his comment but he ignored it and continued, "Most of 'em were pretty laid back and didn't really do a whole lot aside from flutter about."

The woman looked down at the sheathed Master Sword and her hand wrapped around its hilt. She pulled the blade bare, surprising its wielder that it would allow her to do so, and looked at its shining length appraisingly. "So you are this sword's master, correct?" she reiterated.

"Yes," he answered her with a nod.

"Tell me," she requested, "the melody you remember hearing, did it sound like this?" The girl then began humming the _Song of Time_ , making Link's eyes shoot all the way open.

"Yes!" he exclaimed in surprise. "How do you know that Song!?"

"The _Song of Time_ ," she unveiled, "has been passed down the Hyrule Royal Family for generations."

He heard a sharp intake of breath come from Navi and his shoulders sagged in acceptance. "She's…the Queen, Link!?" Navi exclaimed.

"I am not yet Queen," she corrected, "but I was the ruler."

Link's ears perked up at hearing her diction and he parroted, " _Was_?"

The princess' face saddened and she answered, "Yes. I am still ruler but in name only. In reality I am a prisoner in my own home – ruling over nothing but spirits until the Spirits have been restored."

"What do you mean?"

The princess' ropes over his ankles receded as well and she directed, "Come and see for yourself." She then walked over to her room's window.

Link stood and walked over to the window with Navi flittering about his head, and the sight that met his eyes made his blood run cold.

"As you see," the princess narrated, "Twilight has engulfed Hyrule. An acquaintance of mine and her ally have been working for – by my approximation – the last thirteen days to restore strength to the Light Spirits whom guard us and separate our own realm from that of the Twilight. I have felt that Faron, Eldin, and Ordona all now possess their former strength, leaving only Lanayru left. It should not be long however, as they will be able to easily locate and assist Lanayru as well."

 _Light Spirits?_ Link repeated in shock. He looked at the equally befuddled Navi and thought, _Why didn't anyone tell me about_ them _? They could've helped fight Ganondorf!_ He instinctively looked down at his left hand and felt a dull aching instead of the warmth there usually was.

Navi spiraled down on top of his bare hand and sat atop where the Mark of the Triforce had revealed itself to him. "Link…" Navi whispered consolingly. "Is… Can you feel _it_?"

He shook his head and said, "No, but I never knew I'd even had it until…Sheik showed who he really was, remember?"

"True," the fairy conceded with a thoughtful crossing of her arms. She then flapped her wings, hovered around his left arm, and asked him, "Link, just where are we?"

The female Hylian then cut in, "I believe the better question is ' _when_ are we,' no?" She then added when they looked at her, "I know not from whence you originate, 'Child of Destiny,' but I am fairly certain that you are not of this Time; the fact you recognize the _Song of Time_ proves such."

"But," Link voiced, "I thought…"

"Tell me," the member of royalty turned to stare directly at him, "how skilled are you with this sword?"

His chest swelled with pride and he let himself boast, "You won't find anyone better, and it's all self-taught."

She nodded, "I thought as much; this sword wouldn't let someone incompetent be its master." She then turned the hilt towards him and requested, "Assist me in escaping this place. I know not why you are here, but the Goddesses must have had some reason for sending you."

Link eyed her carefully after hearing her sudden offer. "Why should I trust you here? How do I know you won't –"

"My country is in a crisis," she reminded him coolly, "and even if my subjects are unaware of their peril I will not sit idly by now that I have an opportunity to escape this prison at last. Regardless of your origins, you are here in this time now, and so I must request your aid. I beseech you, Hero, to help me escape here at the very least. You have no responsibility, I am aware, but –"

"I'll do it," he cut her off with a small smile on his face. "I may not know what's going on, but I can't really just walk away whenever someone needs my help."

"Yeah," Navi added as she hung her legs off of his shoulder, "my boy here kinda' has a Saving People Complex going on."

"I'm glad to hear that," she replied with a grateful grin. She bowed her head slightly and said, "Thank you, Hero."

"It's Link," he told her as his hand wrapped around his sword's wire hilt. A fresh wave that felt like a missing piece of himself had returned then washed over him. He felt a pulse in his left hand and pulled the sword from its sheath one more time. He finished while he observed the blade's length carefully, "If we're going to work together to get out of here then you can call me my name. Can you fight?"

Her face twisted in annoyance and she replied evenly, "I am _far_ from helpless. Had I a weapon then I could've escaped myself weeks ago."

" _Sure_ ," Navi agreed with a teasing grin. "Don't worry, Princess, you're not the first Damsel he's rescued."

"I am no wilting flower," she informed them crossly. "I am proficient with a bow and adequate enough with a blade.

"Really?" Link asked her. "How good are you with a bow?"

The princess tilted her chin up and answered proudly, "I won the Horseback Archery Tournament when I was thirteen, and I have never missed a target within one-hundred meters."

"Okay," he nodded once, unimpressed by her claims since he could say the same when he never had any formal training. He then asked her, "Was I carrying a few pouches when you found me?"

"Yes you were." She then pulled two small pouches from within her dress and said, "I refrained from looking within; you had only your sword, your clothes, and these on you."

Link looked down at his bare chest before raising an eyebrow at her. Navi giggled a little _too_ innocently and queried, "Why'd you try to undress him then? Did you like what you saw?"

"I made certain that he had no hidden weapons," the girl answered matter-of-factly. She then added after a brief moment, "And I've seen better."

Link flushed while Navi giggled delightedly at her answer, and he also felt slightly peeved at her subtle dig at his slender physique. The young man caught his green tunic after she tossed it to him and then quickly put it on, reining his slight embarrassment in.

"Yeah; yeah," he grumbled while he strapped his sheath to his back like he usually did. Link attached his two pouches to either hip and said, "Let's get on with it, shall we?" He then reached into the pouch on his left side and searched around for what he was looking for.

"I have plenty of Rupees," the girl told him. "There's no need –"

"Aha! Got it," Link declared with a smile. He then pulled out his bow and large quiver and held them both out to her. "Here; you can use this for now. There should be a good seventy arrows still left in the quiver."

The brown-haired young woman tried to recover her composure as she took the offered weapon. "I… Thank you," she eventually managed to say back. "If I may, just what kind of pouch is that? I have never heard of such a thing existing."

"No idea," he answered her immediately while he pulled out his old Kokiri Sword – though its weight and length more resembled a slightly extended dagger than anything else. "You can use this too if anything gets too close, but just don't lose it; I still have to return it when I get the chance."

"I… Of course," she accepted as she took the small blade and strapped it to her waist. The girl then looked at his curious and interested gaze and asked him, "How much can that contain?"

Link halted for a second and thought about her question. He finally answered her while placing his cap atop his head, "Don't know; I haven't really tried to figure that out. Best I can tell is a lot."

She nodded once and then said, "The guard should arrive in the next few minutes. It should have the key to the door out of this tower and into the rest of the castle."

"Good." The warrior pulled the Master Sword out one last time and twirled it once to test it before opening the room's door just slightly enough to hear anything approaching. "What kind of creature am I dealing with here? Lizardos?"

"Bulblin," she replied, briefly confusing him. "A Twilit Bulblin to be precise. Beware – they are more intelligent than you would assume from their appearance."

"Are they like a Goblin?"

"They are taller, stronger, and a great deal more intelligent, but they are bipedal so they aren't entirely dissimilar."

Link stared at her blankly for a moment before deadpanning, "A simple 'yes' or 'no' would have been fine, Princess."

"Zelda," she told him, sending a chill down his spine. "You may simply call me by name as well."

"Okay," he responded while feeling uncomfortable with seeing someone else whom looked exactly like his Zelda aside from the hair color sharing the same name. He tensed once he heard the rattling of an iron lock echo into the room and instructed, "Stay quiet and don't let them know I'm here."

"I am no fool," Zelda replied curtly while he slinked into the room's shadows and Navi hid herself beneath his cap like usual.

Steps rang out over the still air as the guard walked up the stairwell to the room. _Just one,_ Link gathered from the amount of footfalls he heard. _Easy then,_ he thought while his grip tightened on his sword's hilt.

A pitch black hand gripped the edge of the room's doorway and the hinges creaked ominously as it was pushed inwards. The creature on the other side let out a series of authoritative, indecipherable grunts that by his guess was an order to the princess.

The door was finally pushed open, but before Link could move to engage the guard a single arrow seared the air and pierced its head directly between the beady red eyes. The light in the monster's eyes completely faded and the black creature fell over lifelessly.

Navi poked her head out from the cap, and she and Link both turned to look at the princess. Zelda held the bow with a perfectly straight form and stood both tall and regal in the face of their disbelieving stares.

"I told you," Zelda sniffed once proudly and then dropped the bow to her side. "I am no Damsel waiting for her Hero to rescue her, Link."

The boy and fairy both nodded slowly, and he replied, "Gotcha', but I'd try to conserve my arrows for now if I was you. While we're in close quarters let me deal with all of them until we reach a pretty big room with enemies on balconies or the like. There's no telling how many monsters are patrolling this place."

"She's kinda' like if Zelda and Sheik were one person, right, Link?" Navi whispered.

"They _were_ ," he reminded her underneath his breath.

"You know what I mean," the fairy scolded him and pulled his hair once with an indignant huff. "Sheik was all, 'I am a mysterious badass,' and Zelda was: 'I'm good at magic but somehow don't also have Sheik's strength.'"

"Shall we go then?" Zelda interjected before he could retort. "There is little time before they discover that this one is missing and come searching."

Navi flashed him an insufferable grin and went back beneath his cap until she felt like coming back out. Link grumbled about annoying fairies, getting another pull of his hair for his grumping from his partner. He finally answered her, "Yeah. Let's get moving. I'll take point."

"Lead on then."

* * *

 **A/N:** This is my newest child, everyone. I'm posting this to just test the waters on the idea for the moment. I make no guarantees about when I'll update the other stuff, but I will offer you all this: I will be leaving for a vacation on the Twenty-Second of the month, so before I go I'm going to try and stockpile chapters for my stories - this one, my _Bleach_ idea, and likely my _DxD_ crossover.

Let me know your thoughts. Yes, in case you're uncertain, this story is about the _Ocarina of Time_ Link now in the _Twilight Princess_ Universe. It's my two favorite _Zelda_ games combined into one. Also, the Hero of Twilight will still exist and have his own story going on, so the Hero of Time will not just replace him.


End file.
